Staff, parents and the local community rallied around to ensure it was business as usual just hours after a family centre was hit by vandalism.
Blackburn Family Centre was the target of the mindless damage on Thursday (March 9) which resulted in windows and doors being broken while it’s also claimed the vandals unsuccessfully tried to set fire to curtains.
BFC project manager Traci Mackie has hit out at those who caused the damage but hailed those who came to their aid to help with the clean up.
Blackburn Family Centre is a non-profit organisation that has run an early learning and childcare programme from premises at the Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School for 25 years.
Traci, who received a call from the cleaner at around 9pm to alert her to the damage, commented: “The setting is fully fenced and the gates were padlocked. The three culprits presumably gained access by climbing over the fence.
“On our CCTV footage, you can see them breaking the windows and the door of the wooden cabin, then once inside trying to set the curtains alight.
“Thank goodness the curtains were non-flammable. They also ripped apart the cabin’s insulation.”
She added: “Some of our staff rushed to the site to assess the damage while others managed our social media communications.
“By midnight and with the help of our parents and the greater community we had a pretty good clean-up plan all set to roll-out first thing in the morning.
“It was really heart-warming to experience the community spirit of Blackburn. Late into Friday, the people of Blackburn were still making contact and popping in to find out what they could do to help.”
Chairperson Ashleigh Speirs added: “It goes to show that the people of Blackburn come together and support one another when things go wrong. It’s who we are.
“We had people offering assistance via social media as soon we posted it on our Facebook page on Thursday night. Even people who have no direct relationship to Blackburn Family Centre offered their help.
“We rely on grants and donations to be able to subsidise our fees so that families can afford to attend the nursery.
“Almost 70 families rely on us for childcare at the moment. That doesn’t include the health and well-being programme that is run from our main building at the Trindleyknowe.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 9.05pm on Thursday, March 9, 2023, officers received a report of a housebreaking at a premises on Whitehill Road, Blackburn.
“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
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